Ovechkin Takes 2nd Straight NHL MVP Award

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Ovechkin accepting last year's Hart Memorial Trophy during the 2008 NHL Awards at the at the Elgin Theatre on June 12, 2008, in Toronto.

LAS VEGAS -- Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin is the NHL's most valuable player for the second straight year after leading the league with 56 goals.

Ovechkin beat fellow Russian finalists Evgeni Malkin of Pittsburgh and Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk on Thursday night. He also won the Lester Pearson Award awarded by the NHL Players' Association to the most outstanding player.

Ovechkin, second to Malkin with 110 points, was presented the Hart by compatriot and Capitals teammate Sergei Fedorov. Ovechkin received 115 first-place votes, Malkin earned 12 and Datsyuk had four.